


Marks, Mistakes, and Misunderstandings

by Emilx311



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Don't copy to another site, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, MadaTobi Week 2019, Multi, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 09:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20171815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilx311/pseuds/Emilx311
Summary: Senju Tobirama has two names, one known only to a handful of people. Turns out, this can make finding your soulmate a bit difficult.





	Marks, Mistakes, and Misunderstandings

**Author's Note:**

> Written for MadaTobi week prompt Soulmates. Tobirama's second name here is Tetsuo which means (according to the list I found) wise hero or wise man. To make it easy to read I tried to stick to Tobirama for the most part, but anytime Tetsuo is used it is referring to Tobirama.

There was something very few people knew about Senju Tobirama. Well, really there were many things about the younger Senju brother that were not widely known, but the most important one was his name. Not his everyday name, that one had spread well beyond the boarders of fire country attached to tales of his battle prowess, his invented jutsus, his various feats, and monikers such as ‘the white ghost’. No, it was his true name that remained a secret.

Many had forgotten, but the previous lady of the Senju, Butsuma’s soulmate, was a Hatake and the Hatake could be a superstitious people. They believed that names had power and so every child of the clan was given two names. The first was their secret name, their true name. This name was a secret, given only to those closest to the person. The second was their everyday name, the name the general public would know them as. Though she had left her clan to help her husband and soulmate lead his, the lady Senju held on to some of her traditions. When each of her sons were born, she carefully selected two names for them. In their public names she followed the traditions of the Senju. In their private ones she followed her heart. When they were alone with her, she would use only these private names, would remind her children of the power they contained and why they should take such care with them.

Hashirama had always been a true son of the Senju. Though he respected their mother and her traditions he did not believe in them. He remembered and guarded the name she had given him as a gift but saw Hashirama as his name. After she passed, only his brothers would use his other name and soon even they began to stop. Soon it was all but forgotten, used only as an occasional loving nickname.

Tobirama was his brother’s opposite in many ways and this was among them. He had taken after his mother the most, both in looks and temperament. He listened with awe to her stories and committed them and her beliefs to memory. He’d never seen “Tobirama” as anything more than a cover, a shield created to protect his true self. Tetsuo was the name he regarded as his for it was the name his mother had given to him out of love.

Tobirama was a duty. Tobirama was having to be the spare heir. Tobirama was having to be his father’s soldier. Tobirama was having to fight and kill. Tobirama was stomping his emotions down so they would not get in the way of what had to be done. Tobirama was the aches of wounds and bruises and hours spent training and pushing himself to be better.

Tetsuo was none of those. Tetsuo was the joy of reading, of experimenting, of learning and creating. Tetsuo were the secret soft smiles he saved for his brothers, Touka, and later Mito. Tetsuo was wiping away his brother’s tears and whispered words of apology and forgiveness in the night. Tetsuo was drawing up drafts of treaties he wasn’t sure would ever be signed and plans for a village he doubted would ever exist. Tetsuo was promises to do all he could to help make Hashirama’s dreams a reality. Tetsuo was being able to let his guard down. Tetsuo was playing with and teaching the clan children. Tetsuo was carefully bandaged wounds, and kind words, and warm eyes.

Tobirama was the face he presented to the world, but Tetsuo was his heart. However, Tobirama had not only embraced the name his mother had given him, he had also embraced her warnings. Tetsuo was vulnerable in a way Tobirama was not, not only to spirits but to other humans, and so he kept Tetsuo tucked away. Only when he was alone, or with the small handful of people he trusted completely, would he allow Tetsuo to emerge.

His soulmark did not help in this regard. He’d kept it hidden since it had appeared, a task thankfully made easier by the fact it was on his upper thigh. It wasn’t that he feared he would never meet his mate, nor was it because he was ashamed of having a male’s name. He also did not suffer from the common fear in shinobi that their match would die before they could meet. He did not agonize over the possibility it could be a civilian. No, in these ways he’d been luckier than most. He’d known who his mate was since the moment he’d first seen the elegant writing sitting starkly against his pale skin. Madara was, after all, a rather unusual name.

No, Tobirama hid his mark precisely because he knew who it was for. He didn’t want his father to know he was matched with an enemy. Didn’t want to hurt Hashirama even more by revealing his soulmate was the boy Tobirama had been forced to part him from. He didn’t want to give Touka anything more to worry about-especially not something that could distract her during a battle. He assumed Madara was doing the same since the other never said anything. He continued to fight Hashirama and only ever glanced at Tobirama when checking on his younger brother. So, though deep inside Tobirama Tetsuo mourned for the chances lost, he forced himself to push past it and put such things out of his mind.

And then everything changed. Tobirama, who was always, _always_, Tetsuo deep in his heart, found himself with the perfect opening to kill Izuna. And yet, as he lined up his strike, all he could think about were whispered promises to his brother in the dark, were the documents and plans he had drawn up in case of the impossible. His brother’s stories about Madara echoed through his mind and the mark on his thigh seemed to burn with possibilities he’d never been able to let go of fully. And so, instead of following through, Tobirama moved his sword so it ended up clashing off Izuna’s. His rival stumbled back, well aware of just how close to death he had come.

The rest of the battlefield had gone silent. All eyes were on them, including their brothers’. They had all seen where Tobirama was aiming, had all seen the inevitable end, and they had all seen Tobirama change his strike at the last possible moment. After a few seconds that seemed to stretch on for eternity, the silence was finally broken by Madara screaming his brother’s name as he rushed over. He was shaking as he checked Izuna over, and the relief on his face when he found no serious wounds made Tobirama’s heart clench. His shocked, thankful gaze met Tobirama’s for a second before Hashirama sensed his opportunity and rushed over to ask Madara for peace once again. And this time, this time with his little brother alive in his arms only thanks to a Senju’s mercy, Madara said yes.

Things moved quickly after that. The treaties Tobirama had so carefully written and rewritten were brought out and signed. And, when Hashirama managed to talk Madara around to creating the village they’d dreamed about as children, he was prepared and dumped all the plans and schematics he’d painstakingly researched and created in front of them. Hashirama had blubbered about how he was the best brother ever, and even Madara had seemed impressed. Construction on the actual village started soon after, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye, Konoha had started to look like a proper town. Hashirama had never been so happy, not even the day he’d met Mito, and Tobirama shared hi brother’s joy. It truly was an amazing achievement…and yet he couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Even as their clans had settled together into peace and they learned to work together, Madara never approached him to talk about their bond. He tried to put it out of their mind and focus on his work (and there was always so much work that needed to be done) and he was, for the most part, successful at doing so.

* * *

Madara could barely believe that this was real some days, felt like he’d been living in a dream since that fateful battle. His heart had all but stopped in his chest when he’d seen Tobirama line up his strike, but then the Senju had changed course. Instead of being dealt a fatal wound Izuna had walked away with nothing more than a bruise. And then they had actually managed to create peace between their clans. He and Hashirama had been able to make all their childish dreams into a reality better than anything they’d ever imagined. Konoha was beautiful, everything he’d ever wanted and so much more. And, this too, he had Tobirama to thank for. Madara was slightly ashamed to admit that he’d never believed Hashirama when the other had told him, had sworn, that Tobirama also wanted peace. The younger seemed so cold, so quick to fight, so willing to kill that he’d been unable to trust the other could ever truly want peace. He saw now how wrong he had been.

It had been Tobirama who had written the original drafts of the treaties they had signed. Treaties that were truly fair and equal, that left neither clan weaker than the other. It was Tobirama who had done the practical research they’d needed. Tobirama who had drawn up blueprints and plans they were able to construct off of, plans that had clearly taken years of work to create and refine. He thought of Tobirama slaving over books since they had all been children in order to give his elder brother a real chance to see his dreams though and was forced to admit that he’d been wrong. Tobirama did want peace, Tobirama did support their dream and was willing to work harder than anyone to see it through. And, after realizing all this, Madara began to wonder what else he was wrong about when it came to the other man.

The answer that that, as it turned out, was just about everything. As the village grew, Madara had gotten into the habit of watching Tobirama. At first, it was simply because of curiosity. He had wanted to see what the other man was actually like. He was surprised to find himself more and more entranced the more he saw. He was less surprised to realize how wrong most of his impressions of the man were. Tobirama could be cold yes, but more often than not it was not malicious. He was a busy man and he preferred to get straight to the heart of things. But he was always warm to those he cared about. He always had a smile for the Senju children that flocked to him, and later, for the children outside the Senju that began to join them. He was beyond patient with them. Madara had seen him teaching a group of them some basic Katas once while visiting the Senju compound, carefully explaining and kindly correcting them. He was also always willing to answer questions, no matter who they were from.

Tobirama was fierce, but Madara saw more and more that this did not mean he craved fights. He would not allow others to walk all over him, he stood his ground when challenged, but he never started confrontations himself. Well, that was not quite true. If he got wind of someone bullying another, especially if the victim was one of those he considered his, he would seek out and ‘correct’ the behaviour. But, without his old prejudices blinding him, Madara was able to see that this did not make him quick to fight, but rather, quick to protect. And that, well, that was something Madara could respect.

The more Madara watched, the more he could understand the traits he’d once been reviled by. This included the other’s tendency to go straight for the kill in battle whenever he could. Tobirama like to nip things, especially problems, in the bud and make sure they would not be repeated. Going for the kill meant he took out a threat permanently. It meant that the enemy would not be able to hurt him or his, meant that someone else would not have to deal with it later on, meant that he did not need to fear an attack by an enemy he’d thought down. It was not that he was a monster trying sate his bloodlust, it was that he was taking the quickest and most efficient root to protect his side and end the battle.

The longer Madara watched and the more he saw the more he understood, and the more he understood the more he found himself unable to look away. Before he knew it, months had passed and Madara realized he had fallen in love with Senju Tobirama. For anyone else this would not have been a problem, but Madara was an Uchiha. A clan of fire users, they burned with all the passion of their jutsu. And they believed very strongly that their largest passion should be reserved for their soulmates. It was unheard of for an Uchiha to look elsewhere while their match still lived, and Madara knew his did. The ink over his heart was still as dark as it had been the day it first appeared; Tetsuo spelled out in neat, efficient strokes. And Madara did yearn for him, for this mysterious man that had been made to fit him perfectly in a way no other could, but he was not here! There was no one among any of the clans to join Konoha baring that name and Tobirama was right there!

Tobirama was right in front of him, also still lacking any sign of a match, and Madara could see so clearly all the ways they would fit each other. A year ago he would never have believed it, but he knew now that Tobirama would be able to match him passion for passion. He could, and did, stand his ground unflinchingly even when faced with the worst of Madara’s tempers. Tobirama was intelligent, hardworking, and beyond dedicated to the causes and people he considered his own. He cared for their village and all the people in it just as much as Madara did. He was also strong, able to go toe to toe, and occasionally even beat, Izuna and hold his own against Hashirama or Madara himself. It didn’t help that the Senju was absolutely beautiful. Lean and pale he was like moonlight given form, except for the twin gems he called eyes. So, Madara found himself caught in a sort of limbo where he watched and wanted from afar, almost wishing that his mark would fade so he would be free to approach. The whole thing left him feeling guilty and wrong-footed which was in turn making him even more irritable than normal. This, ironically, ended up being what brought everything to a head.

It was a lovely day and Hashirama had decided that his brother and best friend both needed to relax. To this end he had wheedled, and nagged, and begged, and pouted, until they had both agreed to come with him to the onsen after work. Tobirama, as was his habit, made sure that the towel around his hips was secured in such a way that it covered his soulmark. While he did this every time he visited the onsen it was especially important this trip since the two people he was with were also the last two people he ever wanted to see his mark. Hashirama would cry and try to push them together, and Madara…well, just because Tobirama had forced himself to accept that Madara didn’t want anything to do with him or their bond didn’t mean that he wanted to hear the other man say so.

“Oh hey, Madara, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your soulmark before!” His brother was exclaiming, peering intently at the Uchiha’s chest. Tobirama was quite surprised since he had assumed that Madara would have found some way to cover or hide his mark as Tobirama did. He was also confused; this was not how his brother would react to seeing his name on the other. He’d been so certain, the Uchiha’s handwriting even looked the same, but maybe, maybe he’d been wrong? Maybe there was another Madara out there, or, maybe he had a broken bond. Maybe he was matched to Madara, but Madara wasn’t matched to him. “Have you found them yet?” Asked his oblivious brother.

“Obviously not!” Madara snapped. “I’ve asked around, but apparently there is no one named Tetsuo anywhere in Konoha”. Tobirama stumbled and almost fell as he walked towards them, much to their obvious surprise. He didn’t really care though, not when he was able to catch sight of Madara’s chest himself. It was there, written as if by his own hand in black ink above the other’s heart. It was there and it explained everything.

“Tetsuo” he whispered, almost reverently. He then followed that up by facepalming and saying, “I am such an idiot!” He’d assumed that because Tobirama was the name used most often it would be the name on his mate’s mark. That had become especially true after Hashirama met Mito and she’d had his common name on her. In hindsight it seemed obvious, of course the mark would read Tetsuo! The marks were linked to their souls, to their purest essence and, at the core, he’d always seen himself as Tetsuo, not Tobirama. Mito’s mark had read Hashirama because that was the name his brother saw as his, not because it was the one more commonly used. And of course Madara had never approached him, he had no idea that he had a name other than Tobirama, let alone that it matched his mark and that they were soulmates!

“Tobi-Tetsu-oh, OH!” Hashirama exclaimed, looking between the two of them in shock. He hadn’t even thought, but yes, now that he looked again that was definitely his brother’s handwriting and Tobi had always been so careful to hide his mark, even from Hashirama! He hadn’t realized at first because, like his brother, he’d expected the name written on his match to be Tobirama. “Oh, I’m so happy!” He cried, tears dripping down his cheeks.

“What?” Madara asked, glancing between the two Senju. “What are you talking about? Have you both gone crazy?!” He ignored the thought in the back of his mind, the idea that they were reacting like this because they knew who his soulmate was. He also ignored the hope, worry, dread, sorrow, and longing churning inside him. That, at least, seemed to bring them back into reality. The brothers exchanged a look.

“I’m just going to um…go somewhere that is not here” Hashirama finally said, all but fleeing. Madara was getting even more confused and now he had only one possible source of explanation.

“What the hell Senju?” He demanded, placing his hands on his hips and giving Tobirama a look which clearly conveyed, ‘explain now’. Unusually for him the Senju seemed to fidget under Madara’s glare. He looked hesitant for a moment before seeming to reach some sort of decision.

“I’ll explain, just-not here” he said. Madara finally remembers that they were in the changing room of a public onsen clad only in towels and had to agree that was fair. The two quickly changed back into their clothes and then Tobirama grabbed his hand and they disappeared. They reappeared in the living room of a house Madara had never seen before.

“My home” Tobirama answered his unspoken question. “Please sit, I did promise you an explanation”. Madara follows the suggestion while Tobirama stays where he is, leaning on the wall facing Madara and still fidgeting. The silence stretches on before Madara makes a pointed ‘well, get on with it’ gesture. Tobirama takes a deep breath and does.

“As you likely guessed by our reactions, Hashirama and I know who your soulmate is” the younger Senju starts off with, and Madara swallows. “I will tell you who it is, but there are some things I have to explain to you first.” Madara is surprised, but nods, willing to listen. Perhaps his soulmate has health issues, or is on a long-term undercover mission?

“The Hatake, like every other clan, has certain traditions and beliefs not well known outside the clan. One of these is that they give every child two names. They believe that true names hold power, so all children on their blood are given an outside name they can use instead of their true name” Tobirama explains. Madara is confused, while interesting this history lesson on the Hatake does not seem particularly relevant. “What many forget us that our mother, Hashirama’s and mine, was originally a Hatake. She gave up much from her clan when she wed father, but she did not loose the beliefs she had been brought up with. So, when she had her children, she gave us each two names.” Here the Senju pauses and seems to brace himself before starting directly into Madara’s eyes.

“Tobirama is not my name, not really. It is my outside name, the name I was given to shield my true name so it could not be used against me. My true name, the mane my mother gave me out of love, is Tetsuo, and I am your soulmate” he confessed.

Madara felt as if he couldn’t breathe. He was frozen to his spot, unable to react and unsure how he would even if he could. Emotions flew through him, there and gone only to be replaced a moment later. Shock, he’d found his soulmate? Anger, his soulmate had been in front of him, had known all this time, and had done nothing?! Relief, he’d found his _soulmate_! Confusion, his soulmate was the man he loved? Awe and wonder, Tobirama was Tetsuo, was his soulmate. The man he loved and his soul’s match were one and the same!

“Madara?” Tobirama’s concerned voice finally roused him back to reality. He blinked his eyes a few times and was surprised to feel a few tears escape. Tobirama (his soulmate!) was crouched in front of him, face twisted in worry with an arm reaching out for him, but now quite touching. “Madara?” He asked again.

“I’m okay” Madara assured him, “just surprised. But-” here he hesitated, but he needed to know. “But if you knew we were soulmates-you do have my name, don’t you?-why didn’t you say anything before now?” His heart pounded in his chest and he held his breath, waiting for the answer. Tobi-Tetsuo looked embarrassed.

“I, well, to be blunt, I thought you weren’t interested” he explained. Madara blinked, rather taken aback, and Tetsuo rushed to elaborate. “I do have your name, always have. During the war I assumed you would never be able to want a Senju and then when peace came and you never said anything, I figured it meant you weren’t interested in me, so I tried to respect that and stay away. I never even thought that the mark might read Tetsuo, never imagined you might not know.” By the end he was blushing adorably and Madara’s heart was swelling with happiness and hope.

“You want this? Want me?” He has to ask, has to be sure.

“More than anything” Tetsuo whispered, voice thick with emotion, and Madara can’t resist anymore. He grabs the man he’d been loving from afar for months and drags him into a kiss. Tetsuo responds enthusiastically, and doesn’t protest even as Madara drags him closer and closer until he’s sitting on the Uchiha’s lap.

“Mine” Madara whispers reverently once he’s finally pulled away from the other enough to speak. “My soulmate”. Tetsuo beams at him.

“Always” he swears and, for the first time, Madara feels complete.

**Author's Note:**

> My [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/emilx311)


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